The Pennsylvania senate is a continuing body during the term for which its senators are elected. It meets at noon on the first Tuesday of January and then regularly throughout the year. When the Pennsylvania Constitution stipulates that the General Assembly must meet in regular session annually, that means the session of one year must adjourn by noon of the first Tuesday of the following year. Two regular sessions cannot meet at the same time.

The General Assembly must also adjourn by midnight, November 30, in even-numbered years due to the expiration of the terms of office of all House members and half the Senate. The Lieutenant Governor, as President of the Senate, can cast a tie-breaking vote on any question except the final passage of a bill or joint resolution, the adoption of a conference report, or the concurrence in amendments made by the House of Representatives[5].

In 2012, the Senate is in session from January 3 through a date yet to be determined.

Section 4 gives the Governor of Pennsylvania the authority to convene special sessions of the General Assembly either when he judges a special session to be in the public interest, or when a majority of each legislative House requests a special session.

2010

Elections for the office of Pennsylvania's State Senate were held in Pennsylvania on November 2, 2010. State senate seats in all even numbered districts were on the ballot in 2010.

The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 9, 2010. The primary election day was May 18, 2010.

In 2010, the candidates for state senate raised a total of $11,102,031 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were: [9]

Donor

Amount

Volpe Jr., Charles J

$690,659

Students First

$365,000

Republican Party of Pennsylvania

$353,324

Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters & Joiners

$341,650

Pennsylvania Republican Party

$324,378

Friends of Dominic Pileggi

$282,650

Pennsylvania Association for Justice

$273,200

Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association

$270,000

Electrical Workers Local 98

$248,000

Templeton Jr., John M

$154,500

Qualifications

Under Article II of the Pennsylvania Constitution, Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age and Representatives twenty-one years of age. They shall have been citizens and inhabitants of their respective districts one year next before their election (unless absent on the public business of the United States or of this State) and shall reside in their respective districts during their terms of service.

Vacancies

If there is a vacancy in the Senate, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The Senate President must call for a special election. There are no deadlines set in the state constitution on when a special election can be held[10].

Senators

Salaries

As of 2012, members of the Pennsylvania Legislature are paid $79,613/year during legislative sessions. Per diem is tied to the federal rate.[11]

The $79,613/year that Pennsylvania legislators are paid as of 2011 is an increase over the $78,314.66/year they were paid during legislative sessions in 2010 and $73,613/year in 2007. Per diem has increased from $129/day in 2007 to $154 GSA method and $163 High/Low Method in 2010, but is tied to the federal rate in 2011.[12][13]